That Girl

· by · in Fiction. ·

1-chokh

“You know it very much Mom, I’m not going to marry right now as I’m yet to settle myself more prominently in the business. So please stop showing me those photographs of nubile ladies!” Sid was so exasperated that he almost lost his cool.

Frustrated, Mrs. Gupta left her son’s room without uttering a single more word. She took the album away with her.

Sid was feeling thirsty for a cup of coffee. But he knew Mom would ignore his request. He gave out a long sigh,“I can’t understand why moms are so after their boys for getting married!”

He took out the book on business economics he borrowed from his friend Rahul and tried to concentrate.

Suddenly, an envelope slipped from between the pages. Out of inquisitiveness and, somewhat by instinct, Sid opened the envelope, it was a normal looking one, not even sealed.

A bust-size photograph of a beautiful lady slips onto his lap and, mesmerized him for a moment! The faint smile on her lips looked more mystical than that of Monalisa, her big, black, eyes were gleaming with intelligence, her cherubic pulchritude made Sid forget all about the words uttered a while ago.

“Mom will be happy to know tomorrow morning”, he muttered, “I’m going to get married”.

************************************************************

Sid reached his friend’s house the next morning when the clock was yet to struck seven. He couldn’t sleep well, he wanted to know the identity of the girl, he was anxious about her relationship with Rahul. “Who could it be? It’s not his girlfriend, I know her, maybe his cousin or any distant relative!” 

Rahul was taken aback to see his friend so early in the morning.

What happened yaar? He asked anxiously.

Without wasting his time, Sid took out the photograph.

“I want to marry this girl. Who is she? I want all the details, please yaar”.

Rahul looked at the photograph and said wryly, “That’s not possible, Sid, you can’t marry this girl…you have to take another birth along with her”.

What nonsense! What do you mean? Sid looked furious.

Papa gave me this photograph. He wanted it to be restored from a studio. I took the delivery and unmindfully kept it in the book. This is my grandma in her heydays!

67 responses to “That Girl”

  1. Surprising end to the story, and engaging observations on external beauty. The heroine of ‘premam’, a recent movie in malayalam, is not physically beautiful. She is a young girl doing her medical studies, and a talented dancer, and the cited movie happens to be her initial foray into acting. The movie is a runaway hit primarily due to the ebullience and vibrancy with which she portrayed the role of a college lecturer, who falls in love with one of her students. To describe her performance as outstanding would be an understatement. It is not merely her portrayal of the role, there is something in her persona, defying description, that appealed to the audience. It is very much so in real life, Mani. Women can be beautiful, sans the aspect of pulchritudinous. It is the overall persona that will take her forward in life…best wishes.

    Like

    • Absolutely true, the external beauty is not an essential quality that makes a woman (and man) beautiful. Vivacity, exuberance and a good heart …these are essential factors, too.

      Thanks a lot for the wonderful comment, Sir…. 🙂

      Like

  6. Aha! Love at first sight & smart twist in the tale, Mani 🙂
    Poor Sid! Hope he doesn’t look for his friend’s grandma in the other girls! Tough 🙂

    Today is July 30. Happy Friendship day & Rasagola Dibasa 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

  20. Wow… what wit in this…twisty one… very short, easy to read and the story also came out in these short writing. Very well thoughtout!!…you are a smart, sharp story writter!!… do you know there is some story writing competition for CID serial comes in Sony, why don’t you try writing a story for them… and its true and false… sometimes the person in the photo looks boring but real life totally awesome, sometimes in the photo the person looks great and all but disapointing in real life…serves that guy right for wantng to marry a girl just seeing her photo!!! anyway

    Liked by 1 person

  21. First, seemed interesting, because I’m in the same situation these days. Then, guessed that it was his friend’s dead girlfriend’s, but the chapter of father brought the idea of friend’s mother’s. Finally, it was revealed that it was his friend’s grandmother’s photograph. It’s difficult for me to describe the kind of smile it brought on my face. It’s expressing a variety of emotions. Kudos to you, Maniparna, for this wonderful entertaining piece. 🙂

    Like

  28. Poor Sid! But I had a laugh.
    Before the end of the story, I had almost assumed that just because he took some time to decide, she was taken by another person.

    But overall, these guys definitely go for beauty.

    Liked by 1 person

  30. Oh the heartbreak! But he kinda deserved it for being so superficial 😛 But I guess in an arranged marriage, a photo or a face is all that you have to go on for a long time.
    Well written, Maniparna!

    Liked by 1 person

Leave a comment